


The Girl in the Tower

by Mediumdinosaur



Series: Fairy Tales of Narin [2]
Category: Midnight Poppy Land (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Hostage Situation, Tora is a little scary though, WHO AM I???, actually a one shot I swear this time, all those backwards books on Poppy's shelf, and it ISNT SMUT???, but you know, it's Tora, romance novels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:02:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27807253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mediumdinosaur/pseuds/Mediumdinosaur
Summary: Tora has nowhere to hide, and the cops are after him. Desperate to get off the ground, he scales the wall of an apartment building and breaks into one of the units. In a stroke of fate, the apartment he chooses belongs to a young woman named Poppylan--and she is none too happy about a strange man with a gun bursting into her home in the middle of the night.
Relationships: Tora/Poppy Wilkes
Series: Fairy Tales of Narin [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2115246
Comments: 25
Kudos: 155





	The Girl in the Tower

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing a lot of fairy tales so I had this vague idea floating around my head, and I decided to just slap it down really fast before I lose my inspiration, since I think "aftermath" may be going for a while. Anyways, enjoy!

A swarm of cops, in cars and foot, worked their way around the neighborhood. They were hunting for someone.

“Shit,” Tora muttered under his breath. “God fucking damn it, _shit.”_

He couldn’t stay crouched under this bush. Sure as hell couldn’t make it to his car.

The only way out was up, somewhere they wouldn’t search. He eyed the tall apartment building just across the way from where he crouched. The walls didn’t look that difficult to get over, and he could wait out on the top of the building. There was no fucking way they’d look for him there. He waited for a gap in the search pattern, and readied himself for the fastest climb of his damned life. 

*

You probably already know the story of Rapunzel. It goes something like this: _witch traps girl in tower, girl’s hair grows crazy long, hot prince climbs hair and they fall in love._

Real life is nothing like fairy tales, of course. So it won’t surprise you to know this story goes a little differently than the fairy tale.

It was not a tower, but an apartment building. Not a ladder of hair, but one of bricks and balconies.

And the man scaling it as quickly as he could, leaping hand over hand with sweat beading on his forehead?

Well, let’s just say he wasn’t a prince.

*

“Motherfucker,” Tora hissed to himself. He mounted the fifth balcony and pressed himself flat against it as the helicopter search light swept a dozen feet in front of him, sweeping over the parking lot of the apartment building.

So much for hiding out on the roof.

He checked his gun was still in his waistband and swiftly broke the lock on the sliding glass door, letting himself into the apartment.

Plants hung from the ceiling. A colorful, splotchy painting rested on an easel in the corner of the room. On a bookshelf on one wall, all the spines of the books faced the wrong way. Below them, an applique on the wall read _WHY BE MOODY WHEN YOU CAN SHAKE YO BOOTY._

Alright, so he probably didn’t have to worry about the tenant shooting him. Probably. You never knew, though.

A young woman’s face poked around the corner to investigate the noise, then shrieked.

Fuck.

She lunged for the front door, but Tora was faster. He surged across the apartment and grabbed her in a bear hug, clapping his hand over her mouth.

“Don’t scream!” he said. “Shit, I’m not gonna hurt you. Just don’t scream.”

She struggled against his arms. He could feel her heart beating against his forearm, a rapid tempo.

He really didn’t want to knock her out. And once the cops outside were gone, who cared if she said anything to them? He’d be long gone. He just had to keep her quiet until they were done searching the area. Maybe a few hours, maybe the whole night. That was all he needed.

“Jesus! Don’t fucking bite!” he snapped, flinching as her teeth chomped hard on one of his fingers. He let go of her and grabbed his gun, flipping her around to make sure she could see it.

“ _Don’t scream,”_ he said again.

The woman’s breathing was fast and panicked. She sure as hell didn’t believe that he wasn’t there to hurt her. Tora sighed.

“Please don’t… please….” She said.

He sighed.

“I just need a place to hide,” Tora said, his voice as calm as he could make it. “I know you probably don’t believe me, but shit. I wouldn’t bother lying to someone like you. S’not like you could fight me off.”

She flinched, visibly. He frowned. Okay, yeah, that was the wrong thing to say. Well, whatever.

He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her after him. Tora poked his head into every room of the apartment. She was the only one there, and only one toothbrush in the bathroom--good. Unlikely anybody else was coming home.

He dragged her back to the main room and let go of her. Tora backed up against the front door so she couldn’t run out, and leaned against it.

“What’s your name?”

“Poppy,” she whispered.

She was cute as hell. If he’d met her somewhere else—not, you know, breaking into her apartment—maybe he’d have tried to do something about that. She was wearing pajamas. Her soft brown hair fell in waves, framing her sweet face and big eyes.

“Nice to meet you, Poppy,” he said.

He slid down against the door, figuring maybe she’d feel less threatened if he was sitting instead of leering over her.

“What do you want?” she said. “I don’t have any money.”

“I already told you. I just need a place to hide.”

“Hide from… what?” she said.

“You really wanna know?”

She shook her head _no_.

“That your phone on the table?”

She nodded.

“Toss it over.” She did. He set it next to him, and then the gun as well. “Alright, Bobby. You only have to play nice with me for a few hours, then I’ll be out of your hair.” He glanced around. “Ya don’t have a TV?”

“Uh, no. Sorry.”

“Shit, what do you do for fun?”

“I read?” she said, making the statement sound like a question.

“How about you read to me, then? One of those,” he said, pointing to the bookshelf.

She blushed and shook her head.

“Christ, fine. At least toss me one so _I_ can read.”

She shook her head no again.

With a sigh, Tora rolled his eyes. He got up and took three steps over to the shelf, keeping an eye on her. He grabbed a book at random, then blinked down at it.

“Shit. Q.B. Noyouko?” he said. A laugh slipped out from between his lips.

“Don’t make fun of me,” Poppy said.

“Feisty, aren’t you?” he muttered, and cracked the book open. “Anyways, I’m not making fun of you. This one’s not his best, though. You read the one with the pirates?”

“You don’t read romance,” she said, her tone accusatory.

“You’d be surprised,” he said dryly. “I’ve read _all_ his stuff.”

“No you haven’t,” she said. “You’re lying.”

“Why the hell would I lie about that?”

She blinked at him. He sighed and hefted the book in one hand, his eyes flat on her.

“I’ll prove it,” Tora said. “At the end of _this_ one, the knight realizes that the secret code was hidden in the heiress’ journal all along, and then they—”

“Hey!” Poppy said. “I haven’t read it yet.”

“Sorry. You wanna?”

“Well, now that I know the ending,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Thanks a lot, Mr. Criminal.”

“Sit,” said Tora. He returned the door, book in hand. “There's still plenty of good shit in here. It gets real damn racy, too. You want me to read to myself, or out loud?”

“You can read out loud,” Poppy muttered.

*

At the end of the first chapter, Poppy sighed.

“You don’t like it?” Tora asked.

“What? Oh, no. I just wish I could live like that.”

“What? In a fucking castle?”

“No,” Poppy said, giggling. “Just, I mean. So spontaneous. I’m always trying to plan twenty steps ahead. Terrified to break the rules. But I guess you wouldn’t know anything about _that_.”

“Nah,” he agreed. “So what’s stopping you?”

She shrugged.

“Just keep reading,” Poppy said.

*

At the end of the third chapter, they went to the kitchen together because Tora was thirsty, but unwilling to let Poppy out of his sight.

“I’m kind of hungry,” she said. “Can I make food?”

“Kid, as long as you don’t start screaming, I don’t care what you do.”

“Do you want something?”

“Sure.”

She rummaged through her cabinets and pulled out a box of cookies and a bag of pretzels.

“I thought you were gonna cook,” Tora said.

Poppy shrugged.

“You don’t have anything but junk food?” he asked, leaning against the door frame.

“Um. I have some…” Poppy opened the door to her fridge. She cocked her head to the side, frowning. “Miso? Beef, and rice?”

“That,” said Tora.

“Keep reading while I cook,” said Poppy.

“Do you like it so far?”

“Yeah, but you’re right. It’s not as good as his others.”

“I’ll tell him you said that.”

“You don’t know Q.B. Noyouko.”

“Sure I don’t,” said Tora with a wink.

“You’re kidding,” she said, staring at him in disbelief.

“Uh-huh,” he said, and winked again.

“ _Are_ you kidding?” she said, her voice probing.

“Yup,” Tora said, and winked again.

Poppy groaned.

“Just read,” she said. “You’re impossible.”

*

At the end of the fifth chapter, Poppy had to pee.

“Absolutely not,” she said. “Come _on_. That’s ridiculous.”

“Either you keep the door open, or you let me search it first.”

“What do you think I have, a spare bathroom phone? What the heck do you think I’m going to _do_ in there?”

He shrugged.

“I’m not trying to be a dick,” Tora told her levelly. “Just trying to keep my own ass safe.”

“So you don’t trust me?”

“Of course I don’t trust you,” he said. “I don’t fucking know you.”

She huffed and folded her arms.

“Let me move some stuff around first?” she said.

“No,” he said, crossing his arms. “Door open, or let me search it. I don’t care which.”

She groaned and buried her head in her hands, then glared up at him.

“ _Fine_ ,” Poppy said at last. “Search it, you creep. I’m not peeing in front of you.”

He snorted at her, and made her sit on the lip of the tub while he opened the cabinet under the sink.

“Who the fuck keeps their sex toys in the bathroom?” Tora asked.

“Oh, shut up,” Poppy said, her face bright red. “I didn’t _ask_ you to break into my apartment and go through my life, did I?”

“No,” Tora admitted. “That one’s huge. Fuck, sweetheart. S’bigger than me, and that’s saying something.” He chuckled.

“Are you _done?”_ Poppy snapped. He glanced at her.

She did not look happy, or like she was enjoying the joke as much as he was.

“Yup,” Tora said, and stood up to leave. “Enjoy your alone time. Don’t get too frisky in there.”

*

At the end of the ninth chapter, Tora yawned and set the book aside. He glanced at his phone. It was almost four A.M.. When he’d checked half an hour ago, the spotlight was far away, but still over the city.

He couldn’t risk leaving until it was gone entirely.

Poppy lay on the floor with her head on a pillow, staring up at the ceiling.

“Wow,” she muttered. “Her dad was really mean, huh? He writes it so realistically.”

“Yeah, he’s good at that,” Tora admitted.

“That whole thing about invisible scars,” Poppy murmured. “I like how he described it.”

“Your dad a dick?” Tora asked.

“My dad was wonderful,” Poppy said.

“Was?”

“Was,” she confirmed. “It reminds me of my ex, though.”

“Sorry,” said Tora.

“It’s fine. What are your parents like?”

“Don’t know,” he muttered.

“You don’t have one?”

“I got an adopted dad. Just like the asshole on the book.”

“Really?”

“Yup. Could’ve been based on him.”

 _Was_ based on him, but he knew she wasn’t about to believe him.

“That sucks. I’m sorry. Is that why you turned to a thug life of hard crime?” Her voice was soft and sleepy.

He burst out laughing.

“Uh-huh,” Tora said.

*

The end of the eleventh chapter, and almost the end of the book. Tora checked his phone again. Almost six. His jaw cracked in exhaustion. His eyes were heavy. The sun was just coming up to filter through the sliding door.

“Hey Bobby,” he murmured.

She opened her eyes slowly and turned to face him.

“I think I’m good to go,” he said. “You gonna call the cops when I do?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Will you go to jail or something?”

“Not if you give me a head start,” he said.

“Deal,” she said.

He rummaged in his pocket for his wallet and tossed a roll of cash towards her across the floor.

“What’s that for?” she murmured.

“I broke your door. Get it fixed,” he said.

He slid his gun into his waistband and unlocked her front door, then hesitated. He looked back at her.

She was sitting up, blinking at him in exhaustion. Poppy covered a yawn with one hand.

“Hey,” Tora said. “How about a goodbye kiss?”

“Are you crazy?” she said, indignant.

He shrugged.

“Maybe. But shit, it’s not like you’re gonna see me again. It’s just a kiss. You _said_ you wanted to be spontaneous.”

She huffed, and squeezed her eyes shut. Then opened them and nodded.

He closed the distance between them slowly, and dropped to his knees. She was still sitting on the ground, staring at him.

Slowly, Tora leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss deepened, their lips parting around each other’s. Tora lifted a hand to grab her by the lower back. She pulled away and he was left panting.

“Thanks,” Tora said. “Good luck, Poppy.”

“You never told me your name,” she whispered.

“Yeah, well. Ya don’t need it.”

He winked one last time, and let himself out.

*

A week passed.

Tora walked down the street, cigarette dangling out his mouth, mind in the clouds.

A woman stepped out of a cab and onto the sidewalk in front of him. She wore a tight knee-length skirt and a blouse. She tucked back a strand of hair and glanced at him, then froze.

She looked different dressed up, and with makeup on, but not very different. Just as cute. Cute as fucking hell.

Slowly, Tora reached up and took the cigarette from his mouth. His mouth slid into a smile. Their eyes remained glued together.

“I thought I wasn’t going to see you again,” she breathed.

He grinned.

“Same, sweetheart.”

Poppy opened her mouth to say something, then seemed to think better of it.

“I, um. I have to go to a lunch,” she said.

“Here,” Tora said.

He reached into his pocket and dug out a business card. He walked to her and reached out, and she took it from him.

“You ever feeling spontaneous, give me a call, Bobby. Promise I won’t bring my gun next time. By the way…” he closed the gap between them and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “The name’s Tora.”

Then he straightened. He took a step back, and turned, and walked away, leaving her blinking after him with a blush on her face.


End file.
